As a musician by profession, it will come as no surprise that I love going to live concerts.  I also love live theater.  What I don’t like is how expensive tickets to these things can be. “Good” seats for both can cost hundreds of dollars.  It is not that I don’t think experiencing these things as a member of the audience is worth the money.  I know first hand how much time, energy, sweat, and money is needed to produce top notch performances.  I am fortunate that I have the means to experience live entertainment on a regular basis.  My issue is that many people can’t.  There is a serious inequity in the arts.  Music and dance and theater speak to all peoples, not just those who can afford $100 tickets, yet only a small percentage of the population can afford to attend such performances on a regular basis.  That said, the most expensive seat in the symphony hall is still way less expensive than the cheapest seats at a pro football game.  And stadiums are full for most games while professional orchestras around the country are struggling to survive.  What does that say about priorities?  That’s the subject for a whole other discussion.

Tonight I went to see Kinky Boots The Musical, which won the 2013 Tony Award for best musical.  I didn’t, however, spend a lot of money to do so.  I saw it for the price of a movie ticket…because I saw it at a movie theater thanks to Fathom Events.  They made it possible to see a recorded performance of the live stage show produced at the Adelphi Theatre in London right here in Dallas.  If you are not familiar with Fathom Events, you should be.

We began in 2002 as an experiment – a test to see whether the movie theater could become home to unique content beyond studio blockbusters and if one-of-a-kind entertainment events could draw audiences to cinemas on weeknights and other off-peak timeframes.

15 years later, Fathom Events is the recognized leader in the event cinema industry, offering a variety of world-class entertainment events in movie theatres across the United States. We give audiences the best seats in the house to experience music’s biggest stars, breathtaking performing arts, thrilling sporting events and popular comedy acts. We provide expert insights into beloved classic films, early access to Hollywood’s hottest releases and big-screen presentations of original programming featuring the top names in radio, television, faith and more. No matter your interests, we give you the opportunity to be fully immersed in content that awes, inspires and entertains – all in the comfort of your local movie theater, surrounded by fellow fans.

Fathom Events is bridging the gap between those who can and those who can’t.  This makes my heart happy.  The story of tonight’s show is one that every single person needs to hear.

On a personal note, I especially love watching theater performances on the big screen   Because of my vision issues, I have to use my monocular when I go to see live theater.  I can see well with it, but honestly it is tiring to use it for several hours.  Watching the show on the big screen at the movie theater, I can see all of the nuances, the facial expressions, and the tiny movements of the actors without the monocular.  It is no work at all visually to watch the show.  This makes the experience all the better.

Whether you enjoy musicals, operas, old movies, or documentaries, Fathom Events likely has something that you will enjoy.  In fact, last week they showed the DCI Premiere Tour.  For those of you that are not band geeks, this was six of the top drum corps performing.  I had a schedule conflict or I would have been there.

Take a few minutes to check out the  link to Fathom Events.  Attending one of their upcoming events is a cool and relatively inexpensive summer activity!

This is happening at the end of July!  It’s already on my calendar!